Parrot Lover of the Month- December 2011 Iris B.

Parrot Lover of the Month- Iris B.

A New Newsletter Feature Iris' Wilbur We get to know many of our customers and we think they are an outstanding group of people.  Overall, they are more knowledgeable, caring, and dedicated than the average parrot owner.  We want to highlight some of you in our newletter. Our first parrot lover of the month is Iris B. from Chicago.  She is a high school art teacher.  She says: "I love my parrots. I am owned by 4 of them  (2 Senegals, Leonard and Wilbur ,a Red Belly Maya and a Brown Head named Kiwi). The fact is I want the best for them.  Finding Phoenix Foraging and the foods prepared by Lucy has made my life so much easier! Health wise they have never been better! They love Lucy's Unpellet blend and Green Chunks mix. I realize that fresh vegetables are the best for parrots but it isn't always practical for me. I just don't have the time every day. I live in a condo and work long hours. Returning home to an apartment where fresh vegetables had remained long hours in cages would be a smelly and unhealthy situation. So seeing them eating the Green Chunks and Unpellet foods during the day is a relief!" We don't want this feature to just be an ad for our products. We want to tell you what Iris did last summer.  She worked as a volunteer for a month at the Limbe Wildlife Center in Africa assisting the zookeepers with a large group of African Greys that had been confiscated from poachers at the Douala airport.  They were kept at the Wildlife Center until they were able to be released.   Iris was surprised to find that she knew more about parrot care than the zookeepers there. It was primarily a primate center so they had little experience with parrots.  The parrots did receive some veterinary care. Iris made a power point presentation to teach the zookeepers about parrot cleanliness and care.  One with a broken wing had to stay longer before being released.  They also had a problem with aspergillosis.  Here are some photos of the greys, and Iris at the Wildlife Center.

Parrot Lover of the Month- January 2011 Pat

Parrot Lover of the Month- Pat Gower

Pat and Tom in front of travel trailer

This month our Parrot Lover of the Month is Pat Gower, Professor of History San Antonio, Texas.

How many and what type of parrots do you have? I have two eclectus, one blue and gold macaw, one nanday conure and one galah.

How long have you had them? Our experience with parrots began with Bartleby,the conure, over 10 years ago.  The last parrot I got was Percy, the galah, and I got him almost 3 years ago.  

What do you like most about having parrots in your life? I  love to talk to them and interact with them--I love seeing their intelligence and curiosity.  I love traveling with them.  When we travel, the birds ride in the back seats of the SUV and they can see out the window. They talk to us, to the trucks passing by (Aloysius, the male eclectus, always says, "Whoa, careful!!" to trucks he thinks are going too fast) and make comments on things. In the trailer, they are great fun--they love looking out and seeing new things, they get to be close to us and they don't have to be walked like the dog!  They are easy to travel with--we have travel cages that are a nice size--even for the macaw. We make sure they have their same food and toys and all get time out each day.  They love meeting new people too.  They are great fun to travel with.

Bartleby (conure) in the trailer

What do you think people considering getting a parrot need to know? I think all folks need to know the time involved--it is time consuming to feed well and keep their homes clean. They can be LOUD when bored or isolated. They require stimulation just like children. I always think of them as children with beaks and wings.  They are curious, investigative, and LOVE to chew stuff up! You have to be ready to child-proof your house with a vengeance. And they can BITE.  But it is usually something you do that brings on the bites.

What do you feed them? Because elcectus in particular have specific dietary needs, all my guys eat a good fresh diet--they get a cooked breakfast with fruits, greens, sprouts and other good stuff in it.  I vary the ingredients and try to keep it interesting.  They also LOVE the UnPellet and get it in the afternoon as their snack--sometimes, I add some nice seed. For the macaw, who has a higher fat requirment, I add whole nuts.   

Emma in trailer

What are some funny things they have done or said? Aloysius, the male ekkie, is always saying funny things--he copies my husband and says "Don't bite my hair!!!" in his voice. He says "Dammit!" in my voice and says it when I get frustrated and sigh.  Percy, the galah, asks me where I'm going in the morning. If I say I'm going to work, he often says "Bye!"

Do you have some foraging or other enrichment ideas you'd like to share? I keep a stainless steel bucket in a small litter box on the floor of each cage and I stock it with footie toys and change them around--big variety of things for them to look at. They also love pinecones to play with.  

A favorite toy you made or bought? For all my guys, the adding machine tape toy is probably the favorite.  The birdie bagel toys are also big hits. The galah is VERY destructive and needs lots of shredding toys. The macaw likes wood to chew up but also puzzle toys to solve.  The ekkies tend to like footie toys and the conure LOVES to shred up paper and boxes in his litter box.  The bigger the mess the better, I think.

Angus in his travel cage in trailer

Do you change the cage around from time to time or do your parrots prefer to not have any changes? Some of them like lots of change--Percy, the galah,  and Angus, the macaw especially. Bartleby, the conure, HATES change and wants me to leave it alone.  Aloysius, the male ekkie isn't crazy about change either. Emma likes new toys in her cage often and doesn't seem to mind change.

What one thing do you most wish you had known before you got a parrot? How much fun it was and how challenging they are.  I would've gotten them when I was younger. It's lots of work but I figure taking care of all pets is work if you do it right.

  

Percy (galah) and Aloysius (eclectus) in trailer

Sincerely,

Parrot Lover of the Month- February 2011 Sister Kathy

Parrot Lover of the Month- Sister Kathy 

The spiritual side of keeping a Parrot named Lollipop

 

WHO AM I

I am a parrot parent and I live in a very small town in the mountains of

the Adirondacks. My name is Kathy Henderson. I love life, and I love all creation. My respect for all creatures has always been a part of life since I can remember. The love I felt for any animal, be it one with feathers, fur or scales was so strong I needed to do something with it. I belong to the Third Order of Franciscans, which is an order of St. Francis. This saint is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. So, here I am now, after 4 years of study, praying and walking the earth as St. Francis did, I am now called Sister Kathy.

Sister Kathy

 MY CALLING

The spiritual part of my calling all started from working at a veterinarian hospital. I found my "calling" into the spiritual world as a Franciscan while working at the animal hospital and finding myself praying with families as their loved pets were dying or being euthanized. I felt such adoration for animals and their true Creator and Master, and indeed felt His presence at each "crossing over" of each animal.

QUIET TIMES AND LOLLIPOP

During my transition into the order, one of the order rules was to have quiet times and meditations during the day. I am not one to sit still for very long and found this rule was one of the hardest for me.  Staring into an empty parrot cage while doing my quiet time, my mind started turning. I had had a Quaker parrot for 17yrs named Spanky that I had lost 8 months previously. Spanky filled much of my days with love and attention soooo I surfed the web on companionship birds and found a match for myself. That night I purchased 4 online books on Eclectus parrots and their care. Next day I surfed the web for the closest breeder which I found in downstate NY, I made a phone call and was told that there would be a 6 month wait. I didn't care if I adopted a male or female but did my homework on both. I read everything I could get my hands on. As I read, I found peace and awe in the details of their social lives, structure, and beauty. I found my other calling....a little parrot named Lollipop!

Lollipop

 

LEARNING TO BE PATIENT

Waiting was the hard part. Soon I received a call from the breeder letting me know that it was a girl! I wanted to name her something that I could sing to her so that is where I got the name Lollipop and to this day every morning when I wake her up to transfer her to her daytime cage that is the song I sing to her, and now she is the one that does the popping sound that is in the song. When she first arrived I had butterflies and I shook from head to toe, my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it. I took a week off of work to be with her to start the bonding process. She was a big baby. After all, I only had small parrots and getting used to her size took some time.

Lollipop was a total brat in the beginning, striking out at me with that very big black beak, puffing up when I walked next to the cage was an every day occurrence. Screaming was her favorite pastime. After one month she seemed all settled in and I felt confident enough to start the "step up" command. Slowly I reached in my hand talking softly to this beautiful creature that I thought was meant for me. She took a chunk off the top of my hand so quick that I didn't even know she did it until the air hit the open wound. It wasn't the bite that made me cry that day, my feelings were hurt to the core. After all, she was suppose to have been hand trained and was not a biter. This is not what I wanted, she was not what I wanted and as far as I was concerned she was going to go somewhere to just be a breeder, and I would get a baby that I could hand feed and bond to. As I stood there crying my heart out, hurt and disappointed my companion came to me and said "she has only been here a month, give her more time she will turn around and love you back." I agreed to give it a couple more weeks, no more no less before I sold her, after all she was untrained, unfriendly and evil.

The following morning I uncovered her cage to be met with a sweet "hello darling," her first words. She came to the door of the cage, jumped on my shoulder and I froze. Ok so today I am going to lose my ear or she is going to put a hole in my face, I thought. Gently she took her black baby beak, rested it on my cheek, fluffed up her baby feathers and repeated "hello darling." From that day forward she has made a 180 degree turn, she knew she hurt my feelings the day before, she knew I wanted her to love me. She understood my conversation with my companion and she understood that we were meant to be together.

 

MY VIEW

I have been asked numerous times about my view on pets and spirituality. Do they go to heaven, do they have souls? Yes, I do believe they go to heaven and yes to get to heaven you have to have a soul. I find comfort in knowing that they are there. I was told as a very young child, "you never own an animal, you only borrow them till their true Master calls them home , so you must take very good care of them for Him". Today, in this world, it seems many have lost their way and their identities as spiritual beings. They have transferred their priorities that they traditionally placed on nature to their own accomplishments . Many are unaware of their connection to their relationship with nature, they instead are focused upon a superficial and material world. Many have lost sight of the fact that they are all a part of the world of nature and the Creator Himself, which is responsible for the whole of life, and all living creatures.

SHARING THE JOY

I recently had my parents come and live with me. My mother suffers seizures, is in a wheelchair, and is deeply depressed. My dad is totally blind, has heart disease and is dying of cancer. This little parrot has brought many hours of laughter to the both of them. To see my mother smile is something rarely seen but when she has Lollipop on her shoulder or watches with me as Lolli plays in her toy box, steals cat toys or feeds the dogs peanuts, she transforms into the mother I remember years ago.

My dad asks every day if I would bring Lolli to him . To see someone that is dying smile because of the joy of holding a 560 gram bird shows how much love has been put into her creation. She helps my parents emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically....wow.

Lollipop helps me attain "living in the moment." That's what she does, a moment in which Spirit can be most easily accessed. Just look into a birds eyes and not find life a miracle, I dare you. Celebrating life with my parrot has become a way of life for me.

Lastly

If I could mimic the same faithfulness and acceptance in my relationships that I experience with my parrot and all my other pets, then I am a better person for it. If the only thing that changed is how I live my life today, the joy of companionship and friendship, living more in the moment as it happens, then that's enough for me.

Editors Note:  Kathy also has a leopard gecko rescue:

http://adirondackgecko.com and has just adopted a sun conure named Sunny from parrot rescue.  

Parrot Lover of the Month- March 2011 Kathy

Parrot Lover of the Month- Kathy Pedrie: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Mystery of her Parrot's Illness

        

   I became interested in parrots when my kids were little. After asking a lot of questions, and talking to people with cockatiels, we decided on two. We had those birds for several years.

     Right now, I just have Lola, my female SI Eclectus. The cockatiels were many years ago. When the kids got older, I wanted a larger parrot, since I had more time, and did my research to become familiar with the breed before we got her. I realize now that there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding eclectus.

     When I brought Lola home, she came with colored pellets, and the recommendation to feed her vegetables and "some of whatever you are eating". The first sign that there was something wrong with my girl came when we were on a camping vacation. One night I noticed she was toe tapping and the next morning, she had chewed her 'ankle' to the point that she could not stand on her feet. She was lying on the floor of the travel cage. I wrapped her in a towel and held her till we got home.

     Throughout the last five years, Lola has been toe tapping, wing flipping, and quivering more often than she has been well. She also gets nodules on her feet that are hard and brown colored that must be itchy or painful, because she chews on them when they appear.

     Lola has been to our avian vet many times, but we've had no diagnosis from those visits. She is an enigma to them! We know it is not caused by diet as Lola is fed exclusively organic vegetables, fruit, a small amount of seeds, and nuts, rice and beans, and Lucy's Unpellet. My vet has been very supportive but she is at a total loss as to how to treat Lola, so I do the research and she listens. An antifungal allopathic drug provided relief for about two months. Then Lola had a relapse. We are now trying Candex and a homeopathic remedy with some results. I am guardedly hopeful at this point. If this doesn't work, I will continue in my research for a total cure.

     Through the Eclectus Pet Owner's Group, with the help of Lisa Woodworth and Laurella Desborough, I found out about the theory that some of these birds are susceptible to yeast problems. Lisa and Laurella worked with me, answered many questions and I believe, saved Lola's life. At the point when I contacted Lisa, Lola was grossly underweight and she had a collar on every night to prevent her from chewing her feet. She would flip and tap all night long without the collar and I think part of the foot chewing  was because of exhaustion from not sleeping. That is when we tried the antifungal medication.

      I should tell you that Lola is a sweet, happy, loving bird. She does not play as many other eclectus do, because she doesn't feel good.  When she was in 'remission' as I call it, she chews on toys, flies through the house a bit, and laughs when we laugh. She will also imitate sounds she hears us make, but when she is ill, she sits quietly on her perch, or my shoulder throughout the day. I feel sad sometimes when I hear of other eclectus and their antics, or see Lola hurting, but it just makes me more determined to find an answer for her, and in a larger sense, other birds with the same problem.

 

Parrot Lover of the Month- May 2011 Beverly

 Parrot Lover of the Month- Beverly Marotto
Solving Belle's Scratching and Plucking Problem 

Beverly's Three Girls

I have been fascinated by parrots since I was a child.  My grandmother had an old Blue Front Amazon that she bought from two elderly women.  It had belonged to their brother who had died.  He was an import and his age was unknown.  I acquired my first parrot, a young Double Yellow Head Amazon, in 1989.  There was no internet networking back then to talk to other parrot owners so I learned from reading books and joining a local bird club.   In 1997, a baby Hawkhead parrot I named Cokie was added and a year later Belle, a baby Vosmaeri Eclectus joined the flock.  They soon established the flock structure.  Rosie enjoyed watching the other two birds and joined in with their vocalizations but did not want to get too close to them.  Cokie was the clown and tried to bully Belle but Belle established herself as the boss.  She kept Cokie away from what she decided was "her" territory but she absolutely loved Rosie.  They all ate pretty much the same diet of quality pellets, cooked corn/bean mix, fresh fruit and veggies, and homemade bird bread.  Then about four years ago, that all changed.   

       

Belle had just finished her morning corn/bean mash and a piece of pumpkin corn bread.  She climbed up onto the handle of her wicker basket to look out the glass door in the dining room.  I noticed her holding a foot up and rubbing her beak across it repeatedly.  I didn't give it much thought, thinking she was trying to wipe a piece of stray food off her beak.  Over the next few days, I saw her repeat this behavior.  Around the same time, I started coming home from work and finding plucked pin feathers on the bottom of her cage.  Off to the vet for an exam and blood work.  Everything was normal, including tests for lead and zinc.  The scratching and plucking continued over the next month or so.  Then one day as I was watching her vigorously rubbing her foot with her beak, the light dawned.  It was similar to a dog licking a "hot spot", which is sometimes due to a food allergy.  I wondered if Belle could have developed a food allergy.  I thought back to when the behavior started.  It was late August and I had purchased native corn on the cob.  Each of my birds was given a 2" slice on a skewer each day that week.  Also around that time, I had found a recipe for the cornmeal based birdie bread and baked up a big batch.  Could the culprit be corn?  To test the theory, I gave Belle 0.4mL of dye-free children's Benadryl before breakfast.  I fed her breakfast and she did not do the foot scratching.  I left her with corn-free food for the day and when I came home there was only one plucked pin feather.  I had been finding 10-20 a day so this was a big improvement.  I was pretty sure I was on the right track.  I continued giving her a daily dose of Benadryl and a corn-free diet.  Within a week, the scratching and plucking had completely stopped and I weaned her off the Benadryl.  Her feathers started growing back and she left them alone.  That was four years ago.  Belle does still occasionally pluck and barber feathers but it seems to be seasonal and hormone related.  She starts acting broody around Thanksgiving through late winter.  I have not seen a return of the foot scratching or severe pin feather plucking since she has been on a corn-free diet.  I told this story to my vet who was also convinced I had solved the problem.   

Parrot Lover of the Month- September 2011 Sheila

Sheila Byers- Parrot Lover of the Month, September 2011

   

Mr. Hooks with his family

The Parrot Who Goes Everywhere His People Go- Mr. Hooks

Hooks was adopted approximately 5 1/2 years ago at the age of 3 months.  We followed his development from infancy with Carol Stanley, his breeder. The first few days we did everything wrong, from his feeding to the size of his cage. Thank goodness Carol helped us often with advise, god diet choices, and handling. My daughter worked full time but lived in a cottage in back making it easy for me to pick him up mornings after she left for work or Jenny would bring him in to our house each morning. It didn't take long for us to fall in love with Hooks and know we could never and would never give him up.  I thank goodness Jenny appreciated the special bond between Hooks and my husband and me and let us keep him upon her move.  We would have been devastated.

Jenny found a "Pack O Bird" back pack and ordered one for Hooks.  Upon its arrival, Hooks and our life changed dramatically and wonderfully so. Hooks goes everywhere with us. We even take him on vacation and out to dine. When dining Hooks always remains in his back pack (except for the photo for the newsletter), and we carry him on our back.  He has great table manners and hardly ever makes a sound that would draw attention to himself.  We make sure to put something he enjoys eating into the back pack with him.  The only time I recall when he became known to others  was when we were at lunch with our son and daughter and I excused myself to go to the ladies room.  Hooks gave a loud wolf whistle and several diners were probably wondering why someone would wolf whistle at an elderly lady. We felt inclined to explain it came from our bird.

He loves shopping and knows Macy's very well, he even has a following.  I cease to be amazed at his interaction with people known to him as well as strangers. The other day we were in the Home Store and a women asked if she could take a picture with Hooks.  When we asked Hooks,he answered "OK!!!"  Sometimes he will answer "No!!!"  Hooks vocabulary is in my mind extensive as well as his interactions with us and others. He loves singing and will sing along to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"; adding " Yea Hookah" at the end.  He sings the phrase "A weem a Wop, A Weem A Wop!" He refers to me as Grand Ma and my husband as Grand Pa.  Hooks loves the Blue Tooth phone in our car and if someone calls he is the first to say "Oh Hi" and "By By"  When he is out of sorts such as his episode with wing flipping, he would say "Wo Is Me" when I would ask how he was feeling.

Hooks will gladly come out of his cage to have his picture taken, we will only allow him if he wants too and if it is safe for him to do so. We were shopping at Macy's very close to Xmas one evening and the small appliance department was virtually empty until a lone shopper asked if a picture could be taken of Hooks out of his cage.  From that point on the department filled with customers from other departments all thanking us for allowing them to visit with Hooks,  they felt he put them in the Xmas spirit to make purchases.  Needless to say we were invited back by management to have Hooks visit in other departments.  We still go and Hooks actually has a following when it becomes known he is in the store and what floor he is on, he especially loves the shoe department and will converse with the men salespeople, going so far as giving deep laughs and the such.  Macy's was contemplating having him in one of their adds at one time.

 

Hooks is like a 3 year old child and we have had to adapt to his needs in many ways.  Caring for Hooks is our joy as we know it takes time and effort to nurture a happy, healthy bird.Although Hooks has his wings clipped and cannot fly I feel in my heart he is content with the life he has with us.He is such a happy little thing, never at a loss to throw kisses and give cuddles.

A good diet, as I have learned, is essential for the well being of Eclectus and every effort should be made to offer a healthy diet to our little green and red friends.  Hooks is doing wonderfully after a few changes were made and with gratitude from all who offered such good advise.

If I were asked to give advise to someone wanting to adopt an Eclectus, I would say, be prepared to adopt a young child with an attitude problem at times.  Take his or her needs seriously, spend time with him or her on a daily basis.  Know before hand, they take forethought and love to a higher degree and level.  Their diet is all important as well as their showers, clean cage,  playtime interaction, and quiet time.  It takes work, and lots of love!!!!  Know you will always be learning something to assist you in caring for your Eclectus and never hesitate to make him a member of your family, it is all important to the bird and you.  Hooks loves to sit at the table with us when he is eating.  If we have guests he knows intuitively to be on his best behavior and will not try to remove food off their plate, athough he checks out what is being served and if he is being cheated.  We only allow him at the table when good foods are being served such as fruit or veggies. 

Mr. Hooks is our Bird grandchild, he is spoiled, he is pampered, he is loved. A complete trust from us to him and him to us is something so wonderful that only others like me can speak to.  It is so special, and when he calls Grand Ma in that sweet voice and says 'I Love you", I melt!!!!!  George and I have been accused of Loving Hooks more than our grandchildren, unfounded as it is, there is a special bond between Hooks and us!!! Thank you for the opportunity and allowing me to speak for Mr. Hooks, to his special uniqueness as a family member, and our love for him.

Mr. Hooks Comes Out for Photo Session at Sizzler

Parrot (and pigeon) Lover of the Month- August 2011 Nancy

Parrot Lover of the Month- August 2011- Nancy Donaldson

We Learn That UnPellet Mix is Not Just For Parrots and That Homing Pigeons Don't Always Know How to Get Home! 

 

We know that some of you nibble on some of your Phoenix Foraging Rolls foods when you feed them to your parrots. that's fine because all of our products are made from human grade ingredients.  But we hadn't heard of them being fed to other types of birds until now.  Nancy Donaldson is home most of the time and is in a wheelchair. So her birds are important companionship for her. Nancy tells this story about her homing pigeon, Blessing:

"Blessing arrived at our house unexpectedly. She came to the storm door and pecked on it, then walked around the porch and came back to peck again. She knocked on our door for about 30 minutes when we decided to open the door and see what happened. She walked in and got up on Jeff's chair. We put her in one of our wire dog crates and kept her in a quiet room for about a month. When she arrived here, she was terribly emaciated, covered in mud and missing her tail. The avian vet said she was basically healthy but had likely lost her way and been attacked by a predator. She had no band but knew the command to step up. We found a really big wire crate and fitted it with perches. I had to learn how to feed her because pigeon food comes in 50 lb sacks. I mix dove food with split peas, lentils, barley, brown rice and pigeon/chicken vitamin supplement. We've had Blessing for 5 years now. We have no idea of her age.  She's a beautiful bird and was likely part of a flock before she came here. People raise white homing pigeons and rent them out as "doves" to release at weddings and funerals. If they used real white doves, once they are released they would just fly away. If they release white homing pigeons, they look like white doves but will go back to their loft. Blessing just lost her way.

                                                                

When I was in the hospital for my amputation, I was gone for 2 months. At the same time, Jeff was working in Kansas. We had a house/pet sitter staying here. Blessing went into a depression and started just sitting in the back corner of her cage. We took her to the vet. She got a physical and was so happy to be back home that her depression lifted. I was running a little short of food for Blessing so I gave her some of the food I had gotten from you for Samson. Blessing loves several of the items. She eats the rice, the lentils and other small seed type foods. Being a pigeon, she doesn't eat cooked food or fruits/veggies. She is not able to eat things like the corn because she can't crack them open. She's a picky eater but ate everything I gave her from Samson's food. She loves brown rice and I bought a bag of Crispy Rice Snacks. She ate all the brown rice and left the black rice in her bowl. LOL!  I guess I'll be ordering extra of her favorite foods!"    

Samson is Nancy's male Eclectus.  Nancy also has eight small dogs, three of which were rescues. They have a room with their crates and it also has a gate to keep them away from the birds.  Nancy calls this their "gated community." Two of the dogs have learned how to put their paws under the grate of the birds' cages and scrape out any food that was dropped and eat it. When they were doing this recently, Samson went down and looked at them and said "Whatcha doin'?"  Samson entertains Nancy with other expressions that he learns from a variety of situations.  He learned to yell "Help!" from watching Grey's Anatomy with her.  He also likes to watch the ventriloquist, Jeff Dunham, and he laughs every time the audience laughs. Samson enjoys reggae music but if he gets too excited, Nancy puts on classical music and this calms him down.   

                                 

Parrot Lover of the Month- October 2011- Marie

Parrot Lover of the Month, October 2011- Marie

Evacuating Before Hurricane Irene With Pets

Hurricane Irene found part of my family evacuated from our South Jersey home in the summer of 2011. Thankfully two family members were already out of state visiting relatives so that left myself, my adult son, my Vos Eclectus Ruby and our 16 yr old cat having to find a safe place to stay in a very big hurry. A young couple (very dear friends) quickly invited us and another couple to come 5 miles inland and take shelter with them in their very tiny one bedroom apartment. It took an entire day to secure our house. We truly appreciated having a place to go since it would have been very difficult to find a motel that would accommodate a parrot and a cat! Our friends did not bat an eye as two families moved in with big bags of personal necessities that we all were afraid to leave behind as well as our litter box, table top perch plus cat and bird carriers! Ruby, who is a habitual plucker due to food allergies, has recently started on a strict all raw veggie/fruit diet plus specific healthy seeds and nuts as well as Lucy's Unpellet and other nutritious food selections from Phoenix Foraging Rolls, LLC.

My biggest concern was not having access to fresh foods for her since the stores and all the roads were closed even where we were staying. What was I to do to insure Ruby had healthy food to eat for the duration since she refuses to eat frozen fruits and vegetables? I soon found I was able to relax and rely completely on my supply of Lucy's foods for the two nights/three days we were evacuated. It turned out this also helped keep Ruby calm because it was the one familiar feeling of home....she was without her cage, her toys and her home surroundings but Lucy's foods were now also her comfort food and I found listening to her rhythmic munching had a calming effect on me as my son and I spent the time wondering if we'd have a house to return to. Evacuation was lifted on the third day and we nervously drove through familiar streets now littered with the remnants of Irene. We were overjoyed to find our house was just as we left it with only downed trees and debris to contend with. There was not even one broken window!

The first thing I did was place Ruby back on top of her huge cage and she promptly tucked her head under her wing and proceeded to take her first deep sleep in three days as my son and I started to put furniture back in place and hook electronic equipment back up in the rest of the house. It would take a good three days to get the house all put back together but it was only three hours after we returned home that I truly knew all would be ok because that is when I heard coming from the bedroom Ruby's loud girly laughter. My little redhead was happy to be home and as I let out a big sigh of relief, I realized so was I. 
 

Just For Fun- Parrot With its Toy Bunny- Too Cute!!

Parrot with its toy bunny

If you haven't seen this video of this parrot with its new toy bunny, you shouldn't miss it!

parrot loves new bunny

Just For Fun- Eating UnPellet Together

Eating UnPellet Together

Look at this great video by one of our customers!

Serving Phoenix UnPellet.wmv

Nancy Richards has made lots of entertaining videos of her parrots.  Here Dusty and Emme Jane are served their UnPellet.  As Nancy says, "Dusty is being his cute grey self and Emme Jane is being her usual patient self. She knows very well that she will get one of those dishes to herself." 

Just For Fun- Two Winter Movies

Watch Our Holiday Greeting Movie!

 

Click HERE for our 30 second greeting!

 

 

Since it is the season of snow, here is another video with thousands of corellas, white as snow (plus some green budgies):
Click here 

Just For Fun- How to Stuff Your Parrot For the Holidays

How to Stuff Your Parrot For The Holidays

 

Have you seen this funny article?  If not, it's really cute, you'll get a kick out of it!
Read it here

 

Just For Fun- Wild but Friendly Australian Parrots

Wild but friendly Australian parrots:

Parrots in Australia

Just For Fun- Luigi the Quaker

What We Do For Our Birds!              
 

That we never THOUGHT we would do

We would love to hear stories from some of you about what you do for your parrot(s).  We haven't had a Parrot Lover of the Month story for a while because everyone is TOO MODEST!  We want to hear your stories. It doesn't have to be anything dramatic.  It will be interesting to other people with parrots.  So for now, we have a link to some fun videos for you.  This is a woman with a Quaker parrot.  You may know Quakers are famous for building elaborate nests, which is why some states have outlawed them. They build nests that are a problem for power companies.  So this little guy, Luigi, is lucky, he gets to build his nests INDOORS.  In fact, his owner indulges him so much, she pretends to be lying down to sleep and lets him work on a nest on her.  He nearly pokes her in the eye repeatedly with the sticks but she is smiling and indulging him.  There are other videos of Luigi doing various tricks. The nest building ones are down at the bottom of the page here.

 

Foraging- One Way to Reduce Feather Picking

Foraging Reduces Feather Picking

One Possible Factor if Feather Picking is an Issue 

A Variety of Foraging Opportunities

Feather picking or plucking can be a complex issue.  We do not intend here to take the place of the advice of an avian veterinarian.  If there are health issues, always discuss them with your vet.  

Two articles (Vol. 80 and Vol. 96) in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science discuss the unavailability in foraging opportunities as being one factor in feather picking (the scientific term is pterotillomania).  This has been known to be a factor in chickens for some time now.  The authors of these two studies found that enriching the environment of the Amazon and Africa Grey parrots in their studies led to less feather picking behaviors.  

You don't have to buy expensive foraging toys to give your parrots foraging opportunities.  You can fill a tray on the floor of their cage with foot toys or any bird safe objects (pine cones, pieces of safe wood, etc.) and put one or two bits of food on the bottom of the tray under the other objects.  You can get some small food bowls and places them around the cage and use them just for foraging, like the tray but smaller. You can hang foods by leather or safe types of string in various places around the cage or use some of the skewers sold for that purpose.  Another idea is to cover their food dishes.  When you first start it you can just put a small piece of paper on top. Progress to a larger piece and then a piece that is tied over the top.  This way they have to tear through the paper (or make it harder with several layers) to get to their food each day.

Darwin and Rosie at foraging dish

After about an hour

Foraging- Work Harder, Tastes Better

Research Shows Animals Prefer Taste of Food They Work Harder For

Working to get some food

Scientists at Johns Hopkins working with mice showed that not only is food valued more when it is worked for, it may even taste better for up to 24 hours.  Mice were trained to press levers to get two flavors of sugar water.  They had to work 15 times as hard to get one of the flavors.  Later, when they were allowed free access to both flavors, they preferred the one they had earlier worked harder for.  

So don't forget to set up foraging situations for your parrots. Our foraging rolls are an easy way to do this but our UnPellet, Green Chunks, or any dry foods can be hidden around your birds' cages.  Hide the foods you really want them to eat rather then the treats, and see if it makes the nutritious foods more desirable for them.  

To read the full article, click here 

About Us- Chef Claire

Chef Claire

Welcome New Parrot Food Chef Claire
A few months ago we introduced you to Kristin, who was going to take Tricia's place when Tricia had her baby.  As it turned out, Kristin's talent was more in setting up spreadsheets and she has been really helpful getting our costs figured up on products. So since Tricia's baby will be here any day now, we were lucky to find someone who loves to cook and wants to work part-time.  Claire went to law school but has decided to stay home with her two daughters. She is a runner, knitter, and PTA member and enjoys cooking.  She says that making the foraging rolls is "zenlike" and is pleased to be making you tasty and nutritious treats for your parrots.  

Nutrition- Mold Growth and Inhibition in Food

Mold Growth and Inhibition in Food

Mold Growth and Inhibition in Foods
Lucy Towbin

I would like to provide some general information about mold in foods  I
have researched the topic of mold growth in foods extensively because in this
business, I do not use artificial preservatives or mold inhibitors. So I needed
to know how to minimize the risk of mold growth without them.  I also work
in public health with dieticians and sanitarians who inspect restaurants and I
have learned a lot over the years about food storage and pathogen growth
from them as well as reading the literature that gets circulated
around.


Here is a web site that shows the optimum temperatures as well as the range of
temperatures for mold growth: healthandenergy.com/mold_prevention.htm .
As you can see, the optimum temperatures range from 73-104 F depending on which
type of mold it is.  This means that mold grows BEST at these temperatures.  The
RANGE of temperatures at which mold CAN grow, however, is 45-127 F. This means
that SOME molds can live and grow in temps as low as 45 and some can live and
grow in temps as high as 127.  But it isn't optimum.  So if you use high heats
(as when foods are processed in canning) or if you freeze foods, you are getting
them outside of that range and they can not live.  Unfortunately, the extreme
temperatures also destroy some of the nutrients in foods.  So refrigeration is
still within the RANGE/LIMITS of temps where molds CAN grow. But it is not
optimum. Refrigeration cuts down on mold growth but it does not destroy mold
growth.  It also does not destroy the nutrients like the high heats and freezing
do.


Ok, now let's talk about what makes mold grow.  Here is another web site from
the University of Central Florida if you want to read more than my summary:
www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/buildings/basics/moldgrowth.htm.  There have
to be four things for mold to grow:  mold spores, mold food, appropriate
temperature (which we've already covered) and sufficient moisture. Mold spores
are absolutely everywhere. They are on our skin, in the air we breathe, on our kitchen
counters, everywhere. They just don't grow unless they have the other conditions.
So we can not eliminate mold spores.  We just can control their ability to grow.
We can't eliminate them. In fact we wouldn't want to. As with bacteria and viruses,
there are good molds and bad molds.


So how do we prevent the bad types of mold from growing?  Let's discuss the last
two elements: mold food and moisture.  Mold can grow on just about any organic
(as in having carbon atoms, not organic as in organically grown) substance.  So
we can't eliminate that. And we are talking about foods that get moldy anyhow.
So that leaves the last element, moisture.  Mold cannot grow without a
considerable amount of moisture.  That is why a peach left in a plastic bag will
mold before a peach left out on the counter top. The plastic bag holds the
moisture in.  It is also why dehydrated foods can be kept so long at room
temperature and NOT mold. They don't have enough moisture.  Refrigeration
generally removes moisture from products. Have you ever put something in the
refrigerator and didn't wrap or cover it properly?  Didn't it dry out, at least
on top? This is because refrigeration (also air conditioning in the home)
removes moisture from the air.  So if you refrigerate something, you are
inhibiting the mold growth two ways.  You are lowering the temperature so that
it is below the optimum range, and you are reducing the moisture levels in the
surrounding air for the food.  It doesn't STOP the possibility of mold growth
altogether, but it does reduce it. 

Nutrition- Dehydrated vs. Freeze Dried

Dehydrated Vs. Freeze Dried
 What is the Difference? 

Bell peppers before drying

People have been dehydrating foods for centuries.  Our foods are dehydrated at low temperatures to preserve the nutrients.  Dehydrating removes most of the water from the food, making it more shelf stable, while preserving the nutrients and taste.  They are less expensive than freeze dried foods and the texture tends to be more chewy, although some foods are quite crispy.

Freeze drying is a newer process in which the food is flash frozen, placed in a vacuum chamber, and then the water is removed by evaporating the ice at temperatures as low as -50 Farenheit.  Freeze dried foods are also very shelf stable but will rehydrate quickly when opened and exposed to air. Freeze dried foods have a crunchy texture. Nutrients are lost when foods are frozen because freezing causes the cells to rupture. 
Here is an interesting comparison of frozen vs. canned vs. dehydrated foods.  Overall, 

Bell peppers after drying

dehydrating only causes about 3-5% nutritional loss, whereas freezing causes 40-60% from the cells rupturing and canning causes 60-80% from the high heat used. So since freeze drying uses freezing in the process, we don't believe it is a good choice compared to dehydrated foods.  It is also much more costly.               

Nutrition- Why Purple Corn

Why Purple Corn?
And Why Not Yellow Corn? 

Purple Corn

Parrots love corn. We don't use regular yellow or white corn, however, because most corn available today is hybridized for sweetness, not for nutritional value, and many types are GMO (Genetically Modified Organism).

Our purple corn is just as crunchy and parrots love it just as much as the ordinary varieties. However, this organic purple corn is an ancient variety and has one of the highest antioxidant contents of any food. It is a nutritional powerhouse. To read more about the details of its nutrional and possible healing powers click here: purple corn

We have purple corn in the UnPellet Mix and also sell it separately here.

Nutrition- Alfalfa

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
 Why This Every Day Plant is SOOooo Good!

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

You may think of alfalfa as just some farm feed.  It's been fed to many animals for a good reason. It is the oldest plant grown for animal feed and probably originated in Iran or around the Mediterranean.  Its use predates history.  Alfalfa contains high amounts of easily assimilated nutrients and it also enhances the assimilation of nutrients in the digestive tract.  The highly nourishing properties of alfalfa include high calcium, magnesium, and silicon content.

Alfalfa contains high amounts of chlorophyll, protein, fiber, beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, B vitamins (biotin, folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin, and thiamin). It contains average amounts of vitamin D, E, and K, as well as amino acids (valine, lysine, arginine, leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, methionine, and threonine). Additionally, alfalfa contains trace minerals including calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, sodium, and zinc.

For people, one cup of tea, drunk before meals, may be useful to strengthen the digestive system.  Alfalfa aids in the assimilation of proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals.  It also helps to regulate the pH level of the stomach and may be useful for those who suffer from hyper-acidic stomach conditions and stomach ulcers.

So now you know why we include this nutritious plant in our Green Chunks as well as some of our rolls.  

alfalfa plants

Nutrition- Hemp and Coconut

We live in a "fat free" oriented culture where fat is thought of as something that is "fattening" and not good for us. But we have gone overboard in eliminating fats from our own diets, and sometimes also from the diets of our pets. There are some fats that have high nutritional value and elements not found elsewhere.  Here we tell you about three of these so you will understand why we include them in our products. 

Only Hemp seed oil contains Omega 6, Omega 3 and GLA (gamma linonlenic acid). Only Hemp seed oil contains 75-80% polyunsaturated fatty acids, the highest in the plant kingdom and unique among seed oils. Though flax oil is high in Omega 3, the perfect balance of hemp's EFAs allows your body to best digest the excellent properties in hemp oil. Hempseed is considered by leading researchers and medical doctors to be one of the most nutritious food sources on the planet. Shelled hempseed is packed with 33 percent pure digestible protein and is rich in iron and vitamin E as well as omega-3 and GLA. A recent report funded by the Canadian government states that hemp protein is comprised of 66 percent high-quality edistin protein, and that hempseed contains the highest percentage of this of any plant source. Hemp also contains three times the vitamin E contained in flax. Unlike soy, hemp is not genetically modified, and it doesn't contain the anti-nutritional qualities  commonly found in soy.

Because the human body produces no Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), it is important that EFAs be consumed on a regular basis. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of Americans take in too little of one of the most important EFAs--omega-3--which is found in flax, walnuts, deep-water fish, and hempseeds. EFAs are the "good fats" that doctors recommend as part of a healthy, balanced diet. The quality of omega-3 is vital, and can be diminished by oxygen, heat, and light. Thus consume the freshest seeds possible and store them in a dark, cold environment such as a refrigerator. Hemp seed oil has been dubbed, "Nature's most perfectly balanced oil" due to the fact that it contains the perfectly balanced 3:1 ratio of both the required essential fatty acids (EFAs) for long term human consumption.

Since the 1960s, coconut oil has been unfairly labeled as "unhealthy." The media reported studies of how tropical coconut oils were laden with artery-clogging fats. What wasn't reported was the fact that the coconut oil used in the studies was hydrogenated — not the virgin oil used for centuries as a staple food. We now know it's hydrogenation — artificially adding a hydrogen molecule to oils in order to make them shelf-stable — that's the problem, not coconut oil. Hydrogenated soy, corn, and canola oils — loaded with dangerous trans-fats and processed with toxic hexane solvents — are routinely added to packaged foods. Hydrogenation fattened corporate profits and American waistlines, and is now linked with diseases.

Why is it that baby formulas often include coconut oil as an ingredient? Because coconut is one of the most healthy super foods in the world. Coconut oil is cholesterol and trans fat-free, contains only 1% Omega-6 and is rich in medium-chain "good fats" that doctors recommend.

One of the good fats that comprises about 50% of coconut oil, is lauric acid. Lauric acid is a rare medium-chain fatty acid found in mother's milk that supports healthy metabolism and is now being studied for its anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial health-protecting properties. Some researchers predict that lauric acid will become as well known in health circles as Omega-3 is today. In fact, the Monsanto company has already developed a GMO canola oil variety that attempts to mimic coconut oil's  high percentage of lauric acid. As we learn about the downsides of consuming too many Omega-6 vegetable oils, coconut oil is making a comeback.